Somalia says it will choose the countries that give troops to the new AU mission and charges against Ethiopia

Mogadishu accuses Addis Ababa of “violating its sovereignty” and suggests that it could be excluded from the AUSSOM deployment

Oct. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Government of Somalia has stressed that it will choose which countries participate in the deployment of troops within the framework of the new African Union (AU) mission, amid growing tensions with Ethiopia, a country it accuses of “violating its sovereignty.” and “undermine the trust necessary for peacekeeping missions.”

The Somali Foreign Ministry has indicated that “it is essential to reiterate that Somalia, a sovereign State, has the authority to decide which countries will contribute troops” to the AU Somalia Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM), which will soon replace the Mission Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

“The decision on the contribution of troops must be aligned with the national interests of Somalia and the preservation of its sovereignty,” he said in a statement in which he criticized “Ethiopia’s recent unilateral actions, including its illegal alignment with the northern region of Somalia –in reference to Somaliland–“.

In this sense, he has delved into the fact that “previous Ethiopian deployments have led to an increase in Al Shabaab’s activities and little progress”, which is why he has argued that this situation “requires a more strategic selection of partners in the deployment of troops to ensure that AUSSOM aligns with Somalia’s security and development objectives.”

“We remain committed to working with the AU, the United Nations and the European Union on AUSSOM, with Somalia leading the selection of partners that respect our sovereignty,” he reiterated, while noting that Mogadishu “will not compromise on decisions.” that affect their future and their security. “We ask all partners to respect these principles for a peaceful and prosperous Somalia,” he added.

The statement comes after countries contributing troops to ATMIS, including Ethiopia, expressed their willingness to maintain their peacekeeping efforts within the framework of the new mission, focused on fighting Al Shabaab, linked to the terrorist organization Al Qaeda .

Bilateral tensions have increased in recent months, with Ethiopia warning in August that it “cannot stand idly by” in the face of Mogadishu’s recent actions, including an agreement with Egypt to send troops and military aid to the African country.

In response, Somali Defense Minister Abdikadir Mohamed Nur rejected Addis Ababa’s accusations. “Ethiopia should not cry, because everyone reaps the fruits of its actions,” he said, before emphasizing that “Ethiopia must be aware that the crisis in the region was precipitated by its attempts to invade Somali territory,” in reference to the memorandum of understanding signed in January between the Ethiopian Government and the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland.

This situation has increased the differences between Ethiopia and Somalia due to the aforementioned memorandum of understanding signed with Somaliland to obtain access to the Red Sea in exchange for its formal recognition, while Addis Ababa is also mired in a serious diplomatic dispute with Egypt over the construction of the Great Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.